How to Check For Insufficient Insulation

Climb up into your attic. Use a set of attic stairs or an access ladder to get into the attic.

Find the floor joists in the attic. If the insulation is below or even with the level of the floor joists, you could benefit by adding more insulation to the attic. If the existing insulation sticks up over the floor joists, you probably have enough insulation in place.

Feel along the inside of the exterior walls of your home. Check for drafts and cold spots. If you feel a draft coming in through the walls on cold days, or if you notice cold spots, you could benefit from more insulation in the walls of your home.

Compare your heating bills to your neighbors, if possible. If you are spending considerably more on heating your home than others with a similar lifestyle and home, that could indicate that you need to add more insulation to your home.

Turn off the circuit breaker or disconnect the fuse to the electrical outlet on the wall you want to test for insulation levels. Plug a known working appliance into the outlet to make sure no electricity is flowing to it, then carefully remove the outlet plate.

Probe the area behind the wall plate with a long, thin stick, or a long screwdriver. Feel around for the resistance that tells you that insulation is present. If you do not feel any resistance, chances are the space inside the walls either has no insulation, or does not have sufficient insulation to make your home energy efficient.